Jags take ‘athletic freak’ Walker at No. 1
JACKSONVILLE, FLA. Travon Walker “had a good feeling” he might be the top pick in the National Football League draft when he visited Jacksonville earlier this month.
He was way ahead of just about everyone else — maybe even the Jaguars.
The Georgia pass rusher rose up draft boards following an impressive combine and ended up being the No. 1 selection Thursday night. It wasn’t a total shocker since he was the betting favourite in Las Vegas, but few saw it coming a month ago.
Placing more emphasis on pro potential than college production, the Jaguars chose Walker to pair with Josh Allen in hopes of turning a mediocre pass rush into one of the best in the league.
“I was hoping it was the Jaguars from the get-go,” said Walker, who grew up about four hours north in Thomaston, Ga.
Jacksonville took the six-foot-five, 272-pound “athletic freak” over Michigan star Aidan Hutchinson, who set a school record with 14 sacks in 2021 and finished second in Heisman Trophy voting. The team traded its second-round pick (No. 33 overall) plus Nos. 106 and 180 to move back into the first round and draft inside linebacker Devin Lloyd from Utah at No. 27.
Lloyd becomes an immediate replacement for Myles Jack, who was cut earlier this month in a costsavings move. He will join Walker as plug-and-play starters for a defence that is undergoing a major overhaul.
GM Trent Baalke had been leaning toward Walker for weeks, and new coach Doug Pederson insisted he was totally in agreement on selecting the former Bulldogs defender at No. 1.
Critics argued Hutchinson was the more polished product and pointed to Walker’s limited college numbers. He had 9 1 ⁄2 sacks in three years in Athens, Ga. But Baalke and Pederson see a more versatile player in Walker, who logged snaps at defensive end, defensive tackle and outside linebacker in Georgia’s vaunted defence last fall.
“He’s an athletic freak,” Georgia defensive co-ordinator Will Muschamp said. “I swear to God he could line up at middle linebacker and go be fine.”